ISED — Artificial intelligence (AI)

Who is eligible?

• Canadian companies with pre-commercial innovative prototypes in artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and automated decision-making
• Businesses developing advanced sensor and surveillance technologies
• Firms specializing in multi-sensor fusion and data patterning technologies
• Canadian enterprises advancing operational technology, IT infrastructure, or communication technologies
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing innovative solutions for government and military applications

Who is not eligible

• Companies that are not Canadian offerors, meaning those without a permanent place of business in Canada.
• Organizations whose proposal includes innovations that are already commercially available or have previously been sold on a commercial basis.
• Businesses proposing an innovation that has already been awarded a contract under the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP), or the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Testing Stream, unless specific conditions for reapplication are met.
• Offerors not meeting the requirements for Canadian content (minimum 80% Canadian goods or services in the proposal).
• Companies that do not own or have exclusive rights to the intellectual property (IP) of the proposed innovation.

Eligible expenses

• Costs associated with the development and testing of late-stage pre-commercial prototypes in real-life operational environments.
• Procurement of Canadian goods or Canadian services directly involved in the prototype testing process (minimum 80% of total proposal costs must be Canadian goods or services).
• Expenses required to secure and maintain necessary certifications, licenses, and approvals to safely deploy and test the proposed innovation.
• Personnel salaries and wages for Canadian employees and contractors involved in the prototype testing and operational deployment.
• Costs related to risk assessment and the implementation of mitigation measures to ensure safety, security, and compliance during the operational test.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies with a permanent place of business in Canada and conducting activities within Canada.

• The Pathway to Commercialization (PTC) allows eligible SMEs whose innovations reach market-readiness (TRL 9) after a Testing Stream contract to sell directly to the Government of Canada.
• Innovations placed on the PTC source list may be available for government purchase for up to three years following successful assessment.
• Participation in the PTC precludes eligibility for future Testing Stream contracts for the same innovation.
• All proposals must clearly identify which specific outcomes they address from the call for proposals.